Alaska

Alaska is a non-contiguous US state located in northwestern North America, sharing a maritime border with Russia to the west and a land border with Canada to the east. Alaska was a colony of the Russian Empire from 1648 to 1867, when the USA acquired Alaska from Russia with the Alaska Purchase, paying $7,200,000 for the region. Alaska had abundant oil, natural gas, and fish, and it became a productive state for the rest of the United States despite its remote location. In 2015, Alaska had a population of 738,432 people, making it the third least-populous state in the USA.